Because growing vibrant, resilient communities isn’t ever a solo endeavor, ReCAST coordinators connected with local organizations that could meet the needs of underserved residents where it mattered most—in Lawrenceville’s homes and neighborhoods. 

ReCAST engages three dynamic partners to meet its goals. Impact46 provides essential housing services to people experiencing financial hardship. View Point Health offers mental and behavioral health assistance. And the Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity (GCO) helps chronically unemployed or underemployed people prepare for and find rewarding work.

Eric Cochling, GCO’s Chief Program Officer and General Counsel, noted:

“We chose to participate in ReCAST because of the comprehensive approach to addressing community needs envisioned by the initiative. The focus on collaboration among local groups and on helping families develop community relationships reflects GCO’s method of supporting people in need.”

Lawrenceville recently produced a mini-documentary highlighting the third year of ReCAST’s accomplishments. It shows what’s possible when community members unite to open doors to a brighter future for local residents.

Connecting Lawrenceville job seekers with meaningful work

Employment plays a key role in healing communities after stress and trauma. In Gwinnett County, where Lawrenceville is located, GCO’s BETTER WORK program furthers ReCAST’s goals by bringing together local employers, nonprofits, and mentors to help people find fulfilling jobs close to home.

Carolina Pachon, GCO’s BETTER WORK Program Manager in Gwinnett County, explained that the program changes lives by giving people “a sense of hope, stability, and a way forward.”

As part of the BETTER WORK initiative, GCO offers a class called Jobs for Life. The class teaches valuable work skills, but it’s much more than a job training or placement course. It helps participants form the supportive community relationships that can point them in a new direction in life.

During the class, Jobs for Life students learn that meaningful work brings more than just a paycheck. It provides a sense of dignity and purpose that’s essential for human flourishing. A rewarding job also gives workers the confidence and courage to rise out of poverty and build a better future. This resiliency then spreads, revitalizing and strengthening workers’ families and communities as well.

GCO’s programs are particularly impactful in Lawrenceville, where many residents struggle with barriers to opportunity. The city’s poverty rate is 17.2%, well above Gwinnett County’s average rate of 10.5%. The higher poverty rate also correlates with data showing that about 19% of prime-age (25-54) adults in Lawrenceville aren’t currently working.

Sparking change in a young man’s life

Josiah, a young Lawrenceville resident, found Jobs for Life at a point when he most needed his local community to listen and offer support. He was having a hard time finding a sense of purpose in his life.

Carolina described Josiah as shy at first, but during the class, she saw a big transformation in his mindset. Josiah’s self-esteem soared as facilitators and fellow students created a caring community around him. At the end of the program, he gave an inspiring graduation speech emphasizing the significance of the personal connections he’d made. “I’ve come to believe that the purpose of life is to build meaningful relationships with people,” he shared.

Josiah now works in a restaurant and has a passion for cooking. He’s looking for ways to combine this enthusiasm with his desire to serve others. “I’m super excited,” he said.

Josiah offered this valuable advice to others who are struggling: “Let go of uncertainty. If you think you want to do something, do it.”

Making Lawrenceville a true hometown

Communities grow stronger when people invest in the well-being of their neighbors. ReCAST enables Lawrenceville residents to do just that through vital local initiatives.

Support for neighbors who need a hand empowers people like Josiah to take meaningful steps forward, to rise out of poverty, and to help the whole community thrive. The interconnectedness that ReCAST has set in motion makes Lawrenceville a true hometown—a place to belong—for the individuals and families who live there.

The post Recasting Lawrenceville as a Resilient, Connected Community appeared first on For Opportunity.

These numbers suggest trends at a high level, but they don’t reflect the biggest poverty-related issue, both for the nation and for Ģ����Ƶ: the concentration of poverty in specific neighborhoods. Instead of affecting only certain individuals and families, poverty is enveloping entire communities. This is leading to significant geographic and societal separations among Ģ����Ƶns—not only financially, but also in terms of opportunities for education, work, and family formation.

Randy Hicks, the Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity’s President and CEO, also shared that:

“The national numbers don’t tell us much about poverty from the perspective of the person or community experiencing it. They fail to convey that poverty is much more than a material issue for those who are struggling. Research has shown that people living in neighborhoods with high concentrations of poverty lack the essential local network of supportive relationships that’s crucial for helping them thrive and rise out of poverty.”

At a glance: facts on concentrated poverty in Ģ����Ƶ

• Ģ����Ƶ’s poverty rate: 13.5%—2.9% above the national average, ranking 38th.��
• Poverty exceeds the national rate in 133 of Ģ����Ƶ’s 159 counties.��
• Atlanta’s poverty rate: 18.1% overall; 27.2% among children.
• Lawrenceville’s poverty rate: 17.2%, compared with Gwinnett County’s 10.5%.
• Southern and central Ģ����Ƶ show especially high concentrations of poverty.

Breaking down Ģ����Ƶ’s poverty landscape

Ģ����Ƶ’s average poverty rate was 13.5% in 2023, per the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or 2.9% higher than the national rate. 

This difference may seem slight, but it puts Ģ����Ƶ 38th in the country when it comes to poverty. Poverty rates in 133 of Ģ����Ƶ’s 159 counties also exceed the national rate. 

Within counties, concentrations of poverty exist in particular cities. For example, Atlanta, the county seat of Fulton County, has a poverty rate of 18.1%. Poverty is even more concentrated among the city’s children, with 27.2% living in poverty. These numbers are significantly higher than the county’s average poverty rate of 12.6%.

Lawrenceville, in Gwinnett County, also struggles with concentrated poverty at a rate of 17.2%. The county’s average poverty rate is just 10.5%. 

In many cases, poverty rates are higher than the state average in central and southern Ģ����Ƶ, suggesting concentrations of poverty in communities in those regions.

Impacts of increasing concentrations of poverty

In neighborhoods with higher poverty levels, residents experience many negative impacts, including limited access to quality education, healthcare, and employment opportunities. They also struggle with increased crime and inadequate housing and living conditions. These factors significantly hinder social and economic mobility and contribute to cycles of poverty that are difficult to escape.

Eric Cochling, the Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity’s Chief Program Officer and General Counsel, noted:

“Poverty has an especially big impact at the local level. It’s a crisis of human well-being. These neighborhoods are often missing the vital community connections and social institutions that help people navigate life’s challenges. As social isolation and disengagement from work increase, people suffer from the loss of purpose and belonging that work and relationships provide.”

Ģ����Ƶ the Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity

The Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity is a nonprofit organization that works to remove barriers to ensure that every person—no matter their race, past mistakes, or the circumstances of their birth—has access to safe communities, a quality education, fulfilling work, and a healthy family life. Learn more at foropportunity.org.

###

Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity (GCO) is independent, non-partisan, and solutions-focused. Our team is dedicated to creating opportunities for a quality education, fulfilling work, and a healthy family life for all Ģ����Ƶns. To achieve our mission, we research ways to help remove barriers to opportunity in each of these pathways, promote our solutions to policymakers and the public, and help effective and innovative social enterprises deliver results in their communities.

Send media inquiries to:

Rebecca Primis
Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity
rebeccap@foropportunity.org

The post National Poverty Rate Fails to Capture the Problem of Poverty Concentration in Ģ����Ƶ and Beyond appeared first on For Opportunity.

Key Points

• Research has shown that safe communities, stable relationships, and meaningful education and work are essential to making poverty escapable.��
• In 2023, we focused on helping communities develop solutions and tools to improve public safety, jobs, education and student achievement, and family formation.��
• Through these accomplishments in 2023, more communities are being empowered to help people imagine and pursue better futures for themselves.��

It seems like everywhere you go these days, people are struggling. You can see it on street corners, in grocery stores, in news headlines, and—most heartbreaking of all—in the eyes of the people who have lost hope.

What they need is opportunity. And that’s exactly what the mission of the Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity (GCO) is built to deliver. As the year draws to a close, let’s take a moment to celebrate the good that has been done to alleviate poverty by removing barriers to opportunity and creating conditions that empower people to flourish and achieve their full potential.

The good news is that research consistently shows that people who experience personal safety, get a good education, find meaningful work, and have healthy, committed relationships only have a 2% chance of falling into poverty. And for those currently living in poverty, these opportunities are the way out to experience freedom and flourishing.

In 2023, GCO celebrated big wins in several key areas that foster community transformation: public safety, jobs, education, and family formation. Here are a few examples of how we’ve helped our neighbors live better and build thriving communities.��

Public safety

Thanks to our public safety research, we convened state policymakers and city leaders in Atlanta and Columbus to look at the causes of increasing violence, and provided a proven set of practical solutions for reducing crime—especially in low-income communities. At the national level, our public safety recommendations were well received in Dallas and, and an we co-authored reached 28.7 million people through Newsweek. Soon thereafter, MSN and other media outlets amplified its reach to another 167.1 million Americans.

And given how important it is for people to live in safe communities where they feel comfortable walking around and living their lives, we also created a resource page on our website so that elected officials, law enforcement, and community leaders can easily find the best practices for addressing crime.��

Workforce

On the jobs front, our program continues to help communities build local employment support systems that bring employers, nonprofits, and community partners together to help more Ģ����Ƶns find local jobs. We’ve also joined forces with Lyft to help people get to work and focused on solutions to the benefits cliff challenges that keep many mired in government dependency.��

Safety-net reform

This year, GCO remained on the vanguard of educating lawmakers and the public about the need for reforming the safety net. Broadly, we worked to reveal the challenges posed by benefits cliffs, which discourage people from looking for meaningful work and gaining independence. Specifically, we expanded our impact to Utah, Arkansas, and Missouri, in addition to launching a redesigned benefits cliffs website and calculator that adds Utah and West Virginia to the models.

As we educate states and businesses about the benefits cliff problem within the welfare system, we are also developing solutions that equip them to do something about it. This year, we released our first report focused on benefits cliffs solutions, which focused on fixes for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

��

Education

Our efforts to expand educational opportunity have given nearly 84,000 Ģ����Ƶ kids access to the schooling option that best fits their needs. And we led efforts to advance a groundbreaking school choice bill through the state senate. This means there’s strong momentum going into 2024 to expand education options for 500,000 more students stuck in Ģ����Ƶ’s failing schools. We also updated our Education Guide for parents and received the Lilburn Middle School Business Partner Recognition Award for partnering to deliver free relationship education classes for parents and students.

See How The Ģ����Ƶ Is Expanding Hope In 2024!

See How The Ģ����Ƶ Is Expanding Hope In 2024!

����

Family

For families, parents continued to graduate from our. And GCO kicked off our Raising Highly Capable Kids (RHCK) program with a vision-casting meeting attended by more than 20 community organizations. By reaching into homes, schools, and faith-based groups, RHCK teaches parents how to raise responsible, caring kids—and turns local communities into nurturing places where healthy families help people escape poverty. An example of how RHCK brings key stakeholders together to foster thriving families is the Lilly Endowment grant that introduced the Parents First Initiative to Lawrenceville.

��

National and state impact

Finally, GCO had a number of important wins with far-reaching, favorable media coverage on topics we care deeply about. This means that our voice was out there advancing importance conversations about human flourishing. For example, ran our opinion piece calling out pre- and post-COVID crime comparisons for what they really are—an excuse not to blame bad public safety policies. And RealClearPolicy ran an on our ideas to make safety nets more successful at turning welfare into work support.

Beyond these, GCO’s views were featured in important conversations about Ģ����Ƶ’s position among the leading states for economic freedom and why people remain when there are so many public assistance programs. And for those concerned about rising crime across the nation, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution carried our on public safety.

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Wrapping up

Of course, these are just a handful of GCO’s successes in 2023. Yet each win adds to the legacy we are building to help our neighbors enjoy meaningful and productive lives in safe, vibrant communities that value work, education, and family. We’re proud of our successes this year, and we look forward to continuing to advance common-sense policy solutions in 2024 that bring greater peace, dignity, and freedom to individuals and families across Ģ����Ƶ and beyond.

The post Year in Review: A look back at how opportunity expanded in 2023 appeared first on For Opportunity.

Lawrenceville, Ga. – Lilly Endowment Inc. has awarded an endowment grant to Lawrenceville First United Methodist Church. The grant will enable the church to facilitate the Raising Highly Capable Kids parenting program — called the Parents First Initiative — across the Lawrenceville community.

The Parents First Initiative is a unique partnership designed to empower parents to equip their kids for life. By leveraging the Raising Highly Capable Kids program, the initiative will help parents develop the skills they need while building the meaningful relationships that weave a community together.

“We are thrilled for the opportunity to work alongside Lawrenceville First United Methodist to make this curriculum available to more Ģ����Ƶ families,” said Joyce Mayberry, vice president of family at GCO. “The endowment will help this critical curriculum continue to thrive. Beyond resilient kids, we’re focused on building resilient communities. This grant will help us make a bigger difference in the lives of families across the state.”

“We need a village to raise kids today and we want to help build that village together,” said Rev. Dr. Adam Hilderbrandt of Lawrenceville First United Methodist Church. “Raising Highly Capable Kids’ 13-week course will give footings to build this village and the connections made will allow the village to grow from there.”

The Raising Highly Capable Kids program empowers adults to become stronger parents with healthier families. Its 13-week-long, evidence-based curriculum gives adults the tools and skills they need to confidently raise children who are caring, responsible, and healthy.��

is presented by the Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity, in partnership with . It’s currently being offered to adults in communities across Ģ����Ƶ.��

The objective of Raising Highly Capable Kids is to help kids have healthier outcomes across all areas of their lives, including family life, academics, mental health, social wellbeing, and their eventual careers. By focusing on the family unit and the whole child, the program improves parent-child communication, strengthens bonds, and helps kids to avoid risky behaviors.

“We’re opening lines of communication between parents and students and improving academic outcomes,” Mayberry said. “And, we’re helping parents to see their strengths in parenting, equipping them with the right tools and resources to be successful.”��

The program also connects parents to one another, creating a stronger community as parents learn how to create healthier, more effective environments for their children. According to Mayberry, it’s critically important for parents to understand that they’re not alone, and they have support along the journey.��

One of the program’s most unique aspects is its focus on where parents excel in their roles as they raise their kids.��

“We’re here to support them and identify their strengths,” Mayberry said.��

According to Mayberry, this program isn’t just about improving parenting skills and kids’ outcomes in the here and now. It’s about facilitating change across entire communities and carrying those changes into the future for generations to come.��

“Through Raising Highly Capable Kids, we’re going to change the trajectory of families,” said Mayberry. “We’ll change the parents’ lives and the kids’ in turn. It’s all about generational transformation.”��

The bottom line is that communities need more programs like the Parents First Initiative. Raising Highly Capable Kids depends on community organizations, churches, and schools to get involved and help to facilitate its curriculum in local communities. From volunteer teachers to organizations that incentivize parents to complete their classes, there are many ways to get involved.

If you or your organization would like to help with Raising Highly Capable Kids, we’re looking for leaders in:��

• • School environments who can provide parents in their communities with the tools they need to help their kids succeed in academics
  • Churches who are willing to offer courses locally
  • Nonprofit organizations who are willing to host local classes��

There is also an ongoing need for volunteers to teach the courses wherever they’re made available.

Want to get involved? Get in touch with Joyce Mayberry at joycem@foropportunity.org.

The post Lilly Grant Will Bring the Parents First Initiative to Lawrenceville, Enabling Families to Thrive appeared first on For Opportunity.

Key Points

• ��The BETTER WORK Program attracted over 60 participants seeking employment assistance.
• The event brought together job seekers, employers, and mentors in Lawrenceville and Norcross.
• The Gwinnett Housing Corporation, , and the ��joined forces, pooling their resources to help those in the community in need.��

recently organized an event that brought together job seekers, employers, and mentors in Lawrenceville and Norcross. The event was a resounding success, attracting over 60 individuals interested in the .

The BETTER WORK Program: Assisting Job Seekers

The BETTER WORK Program, a centerpiece of the event, garnered significant attention from attendees. Job seekers flocked to the program seeking much-needed employment assistance. By participating in the Better Work Program, individuals gain access to valuable resources and support, increasing their chances of securing meaningful employment. The program offers a range of services, including resume building, interview preparation, and job placement assistance.

A Portal for Success: Sign-ups and Employment Assistance

The event witnessed an overwhelming response, with numerous attendees signing up for the BETTER WORK Program through the designated online portal. Overjoyed by the level of interest, our team was delighted to assist these individuals in taking their first steps towards a better future. By providing a user-friendly portal, we streamlined the sign-up process, ensuring a seamless experience for all participants.

Together, these organizations demonstrated their commitment to empowering individuals in the Lawrenceville and Norcross communities, providing them with the tools and support they need to thrive.

Together, these organizations demonstrated their commitment to empowering individuals in the Lawrenceville and Norcross communities, providing them with the tools and support they need to thrive.

Collaboration for Community Success

The success of the event can be attributed to the collaborative efforts of multiple organizations. The Gwinnett Housing Corporation, , and the joined forces, pooling their resources to make this event a reality. Together, these organizations demonstrated their commitment to empowering individuals in the Lawrenceville and Norcross communities, providing them with the tools and support they need to thrive. As we celebrate the success of this event, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to all those involved in making it possible. Together, we are building a brighter future for the Lawrenceville and Norcross communities.��

The post Empowering Job Seekers: The Gwinnett Housing Corporation Event appeared first on For Opportunity.

“The best inheritance a parent can give his children is a few minutes of his time each day,” said chemist and author O.A. Battista.

This simple statement communicates a powerful truth about the welfare of children—that parental involvement makes a world of difference. 

“As a community leader and family life educator, I work with families often,” says Joyce Mayberry, vice president of family for the Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity. “With all of those interactions, you begin to notice consistencies. One that I notice across all demographics is that the youth who have parents involved in their lives are successful in almost every aspect.”

We tend to know this instinctively, but it’s also a connection supported by research. 

Parental involvement is tied to children’s academic success, behavior, and overall well-being

With that being said, it’s necessary to define what “parent involvement” actually means. The National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) parent involvement as the participation of parents in every facet of children’s education and development, from birth to adulthood, recognizing that parents are the primary influence in children’s lives.  

Studies have shown that parents’ engagement has a significant and holistic impact on children. It improves everything from academic success to behavior and overall well-being. According to the National PTA, when parents are involved, their children are more likely to:

• Earn higher grades and test scores
• Have better attendance
• Be more motivated and engaged in school
• Have fewer behavioral issues
• Graduate high school and attend college

that students “whose parents stay involved in school have better attendance and behavior, get better grades, demonstrate better social skills and adapt better to school.”

In addition, parent involvement has been linked to better communication and relationships between parents and children.

“Youth who have parents involved in their lives are successful in almost every aspect.”

Joyce Mayberry, GCO Vice President of Family��

Fostering better parental involvement in Ģ����Ƶ

There several aspects that contribute to ensuring that our children grow into their best selves. One of the most important factors is giving parents tools and support to understand and nurture their child’s development.

That’s why we at Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity offer a program called Raising Highly Capable Kids (RHCK). RHCK is a 13-week evidence-based parenting program that empowers parents with the confidence, tools, and skills they need to raise healthy, caring, and responsible children.

The program teaches parents the essential building blocks every child needs. These building blocks are based on the from the Search Institute, which are proven to increase cognitive and emotional development, academic achievemement, social skills, and more. 

RHCK workshops are a resource available to schools, nonprofits, churches, and other organizations focused on helping to build stronger families—and ultimately stronger communities—across Ģ����Ƶ. 

Learn about RHCK workshops in your community

through our Parents First Initiative partnership in Lawrenceville. 

Contact our Family Team at family@foropportunity.org if you are interested in partnering with us to bring RHCK classes to your area. 

The post Why parental involvement is key to a child’s health appeared first on For Opportunity.

Key Points

• Positive relationships impact the opportunities and potential future for every child.
• GCO is partnering with RezilientKids to bring the evidence-based program, Raising Highly Capable Kids to the Gwinnett area.
• GCO is recruiting partners who are willing to local partners who could hold a class and for adults who might be interested in taking it.

Nothing has more impact on the life of a child than positive relationships.

That basic truth was the cornerstone of a kickoff event March 9 to launch the (RHCK) program across Ģ����Ƶ.

We’re thrilled to report that 43 people representing more than 20 community organizations attended the event at First United Methodist Church of Lawrenceville. The kickoff helped us build an inaugural network of RHCK trainers and liaisons who will help the Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity (GCO) team bring the program to communities.

Attendees at the kickoff event heard from Angela Davis, regional representative for the Southeast region for , the national nonprofit that publishes the RHCK program. She shared how the program will work in Ģ����Ƶ.

Angela Davis of RezilientKids shares the power of Raising Highly Capable Kids with Gwinnett-area leaders.

Angela Davis of RezilientKids shares the power of Raising Highly Capable Kids with Gwinnett-area leaders.

What is RHCK?

GCO has partnered with RezilientKids to present the program to adults across Ģ����Ƶ. RHCK is a 13-week evidence-based parenting program developed to build stronger families by empowering parents with the confidence, tools, and skills they need to raise healthy, caring, and responsible children.

The program increases parents’ knowledge and skill level of the essential building blocks every child needs — from Search Institute, which are proven to increase childhood resiliency and academic achievement.

The lessons are available to schools, nonprofits, churches, and other organizations focused on helping to build stronger families for Ģ����Ƶ — and ultimately stronger communities. Through a community grant issued by RezilientKidz, GCO is facilitating course offerings for interested parents who want to learn more effective skills and strategies as they raise their children.

What’s next?

We’re still looking for partners across Ģ����Ƶ to bring the RHCK program to parents. We are starting an interest list for local partners who could hold a class and for adults who might be interested in taking it.

If you are interested in referring contacts or getting involved in other ways, contact Joyce Mayberry, JoyceM@foropportunity.org, to start the conversation.

The post Let’s transform parenting in Ģ����Ƶ! Recapping the Raising Highly Capable Kids kickoff event appeared first on For Opportunity.

After fleeing an abusive relationship, this single mother of four ended up in public housing in Lawrenceville, Ģ����Ƶ. Until that point, Joyelle had never relied on welfare for help. She always paid her rent on time and made ends meet. So, falling back on public housing was an entirely new scenario for her. It was not where or how she wanted to live, or where she wanted her four children to grow up. 

��That’s why she was determined to get back on her feet. She graduated from school and was offered a full-time job with the state of Ģ����Ƶ, a career trajectory that put her above the poverty line. Things were looking up.��

“I was excited and grateful,” Joyelle says. “I had worked hard: I started out with the state as a student assistant and worked my way up.”

Falling over the benefits cliff

But that’s when Joyelle got a shocking surprise: Due to her new salary, her subsidized housing allowance disappeared and she was forced to pay almost $1,000 a month in rent.

“I was heartbroken,” she says of learning that she was losing her housing subsidy. “You work hard. They tell you to go to school and get a job. You do all these things, and you’re still not able to provide for your family. That’s devastating. I suffer from anxiety. It causes stress. It causes severe depression.”

She now faces the difficult decision of looking to move but being unable to afford apartment rent even with her salary increase.

Hindering upward mobility

Joyelle encountered what we call the “benefit cliff,” where well-intentioned policies actually prevent people from getting off public services. They make just enough to not qualify for services, but not enough to make up for the services lost in extra income. The result is a system that keeps people trapped in poverty rather than one that propels them toward self-sufficiency and the dignity that comes with it.

“There’s no help for people like me, stuck in the wealth gap,” Joyelle shares. “You have help, but if you help yourself you’re faced with adversities that you shouldn’t be faced with.”

We believe that these services should move people into a prosperous life, not keep them stuck in cycles of dependency. Visit to learn more about ways to end benefits cliffs so that more Ģ����Ƶns can prosper.

The post Joyelle Got an Education, a Job, and a Promotion. She Never Expected Her Success Would Mean This appeared first on For Opportunity.

A Community Responds to Need (or Good News You’ll Never See in Mainstream Media)

By Eric Cochling

Just seven months in and it’s fair to say that 2020 has been one of the most disastrous years in modern American history. The very fabric of our country seems to be unravelling before our eyes. As a year that can’t avoid being remembered in infamy, 2020 will forever be known for its pandemic, mass unemployment, police shootings, riots, and autonomous zones. For many of us born after the tumultuous 1960s, this is the first time we’ve seen our country in so much real, existential trouble.��

Despite all the terrible things that have happened, and despite a media establishment that seems all in on an “if it bleeds, it leads” approach, you don’t have to look too far to find reasons to be hopeful. Granted, you do have to look in different places to find the good news—you’re unlikely to see it in news broadcasts or social media where anger and outrage are the fuel.

Instead, you have to read a local paper or sign up for newsletters and blogs (like this one) from ministries and nonprofits that you know. If you do, what you will find is that many Americans—and you’re likely one—are quietly at work responding to community needs and finding ways to bring people together.��

In fact, many more of us are responding in this way than participating in riots or joining Twitter mobs. But because it’s the good, right, and (dare I say) expected response, it’s relegated to the “human interest” section of the paper, the end of the news broadcast, and the unpromoted backwaters of social media where virtually no one goes. At GCO, we are privileged to be working with community partners in just one of those efforts to respond to need.��

Leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic, church, nonprofit, and community leaders in my hometown of Lawrenceville were already discussing ways we could partner to become better neighbors to those in poorer sections of the city. Unaware of what was coming, we prayed for guidance and started making initial plans for how best to work together. When COVID-19 struck and our state began shutting down, our group coalesced around a plan to serve those families living in extended stay hotels or rental properties in Lawrenceville who were on the verge of eviction. These were the families on the financial bubble pre-COVID and would be the first to be harmed as businesses shuttered. With funding from private philanthropy and the City of Lawrenceville, the Lawrenceville Response Center () was born.��

Through the partner organizations working through the LRC (organized and led by ), our groups have provided case management ( and ), housing stability (the ), food security (the ), mentoring and coaching ( at ), and job search assistance (GCO’s program). To date, the LRC has helped more than 200 families avoid eviction, have sufficient nutrition, and get on the path back to a stable income.

��

It’s the biggest good news story in my community, but almost no one knows about it. It’s a story of people (with diversity of race, gender, income, political views, and faith) coming together to help alleviate and prevent suffering. As we enter into our third month of working together, we celebrate the successes we’ve seen:

• The mom and daughter who now have a place of their own after spending many nights living in their car.
• The couple who were unemployed and living under a bridge who are now in decent housing and working.
• The mom and her two children who have been able to remain in an extended stay hotel while mom successfully found a new job.

There are other stories like this and there will be more. And our experience in Lawrenceville is certainly being replicated in other cities and states around the country. Even though you’ll almost never hear it from a 24-hour news channel or see it in your Twitter feed, this is how the vast majority of Americans respond in a crisis: They roll up their sleeves and help.

HWDG brings together community resources and technology to help un- and under-employed individuals achieve economic independence in three ways:

• Offering support: Individuals can easily search for local service providers who can help them overcome barriers to employment.
• Helping people find their strengths: Job seekers can identify their strengths and opportunities for employment through a soft skills assessment, a library of training programs, and a career pathway generator.
• Linking people directly with job opportunities: Job seekers can then connect with jobs relevant to their skill sets and personal preferences and geographic area.

The post A Community Responds to Need (or Good News You’ll Never See in Mainstream Media) appeared first on For Opportunity.

***

GCO’s college and career readiness working group met at in Lawrenceville last week to continue the “college” aspect of its work.�� The group specifically focused on high remediation rates, communication between high schools and colleges regarding expectations, and issues often faced by first-generation college students. Here is a closer look at some take-aways from this meeting:

• High remediation rates. University System of Ģ����Ƶ (USG) institutions offer three remedial, or “learning support” courses, in reading, English, and math.�� Whether needing remediation in one area or more than one, Ģ����Ƶ students have historically enrolled in these courses at what seem like high rate.�� In Fall 2008 (the most recent data reported by USG), .�� Of those 46,500, 11,603, or 25 percent, were required to take at least one learning support course based on USG requirements. ��Perhaps the numbers have improved over the past 5 years, but this surely remains a problem.
• High school – college communication. The USG actually has a set of for entering freshmen.�� But even a student who earns all of the credits on this list could need learning support in multiple areas, based on placement test scores.�� At a high level, agencies and institutions have been communicating for years about the transition from high school to college, from USG’s high school credit requirements to the to .�� More communication at a finer-grain level, such as between college faculty and high school teachers in specific content areas, is an area the group spent significant time discussing, and will continue to refine.
• First-generation college students. Finally, the group also explored issues related to first-generation college students.�� Skills like learning the diligence to wake up, go to campus, attend class, pay attention, and stay the whole time—without anyone telling the student to do so – are skills that many students are not necessarily forced to practice in high school.�� Many can even graduate without them.�� Add to this the lack of a family member with experience in building a college schedule, or navigating financial aid, and it becomes much clearer why many first-generation college students struggle on campus.�� provides significantly more individual mentoring for students, as well as much more “intrusive” advising; the college actually attempts to find students who may be struggling, and reach out to them, rather than passively waiting for students who need help to find a campus advising or tutoring center.�� These efforts have borne results, as much higher than comparable institutions; rates that, in fact, sometimes rival the retention rates at Research I institutions. ��

These areas are part of the framework of the group’s efforts at finding practical solutions to improve the college readiness of Ģ����Ƶ students.�� Next month, the group will focus on issues specific to “career” readiness, and will work toward preliminary recommendations, and a report on the first stage of its work.

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